Snape and the "Chosen One" Was: Nice vs. Good - Compassion

[leslie41]

No: HPFGUIDX 153619

> > Leslie41:
> > People remain silent when others are abused for all sorts of 
> > reasons. Lupin remained silent, staring at his book, while Snape 
> > was abused and humiliated, and Lupin was a *prefect*.  He didn't 
> > participate, and tried to stay out of it.  I certainly don't 
> > interpret that as Lupin "approving."  

> Lupinlore:
> I do.  Lupin has, as I readily admit, many faults.  I think he is 
> in deep denial when he claims that he neither likes nor dislikes 
> Snape.  And while he may have found what happened to Snape to be 
> displeasing in some ways, I think he did rather approve of it deep 
> down in his furry little heart.

Leslie41:
Okay, you certainly can think that if you wish, much as I can hold 
the belief that Snape is gay. No support for it in canon, however. 

And as for Lupin disliking Snape, all the support in canon, 
including words from Lupin's own mouth, directly contradicts your 
feelings.

> Lupinlore:
> Sorry, not believing in abuse has nothing whatsoever to do with 
> guilt in allowing it to happen.  One might believe murder is all 
> right.  One might even believe that in all honesty and good faith 
> that murder is all right.  One is still absolutely guilty for 
> standing back and allowing it to happen.  Ignorance of the law -- 
> whether the statute or the moral law -- is absolutely no excuse 
> whatsoever.

Leslie41:
Ignorance of the law *is* no excuse, and on that point you are 
correct.  But you realize that your entire argument about 
Dumbledore "approving" abuse rests on your rock-bound faith that 
what occurs in Snape's classroom *is* abuse.  

In other words, your entire argument rests on a "fact" that not all 
of us agree is fact.  You predicate your judgements on an assumption 
that not everyone shares.

You align Snape's pedagogical methods with murder, and the analogy 
is not apt.  We can all agree murder is wrong.  But we do not all 
agree that what Snape does is abuse.

Especially Dumbledore.

> Lupinlore:
> The same applies to Snapey-poo himself.  Does he think of what he 
> does as abuse?  Of course not.  Does he honestly believe he is 
> doing the right thing?  Probably.  Does that in any way excuse him 
> from his abuse or lessen his guilt?  Absolutely, positively, and 
> definitively not.

Leslie41:
You're not doing your argument any good by referring to Snape 
derisively as "Snapey-poo." In fact, your insult actually makes it 
look as if you think you can only make points by name-calling, which 
is the last resort of people who have no case.